(Photo: Greg Lee)
The Community Cycling Center’s annual Holiday Bike Drive took place on Sunday. The event is a cherished tradition here in Portland as it brings together the community in a way that no other event does. Beyond simply giving out free bikes, the CCC carefully chooses recipients based on those in need. All the families that take part are referred to the event by a partnering social service program and the kids are given a full complement of accessories and skills education to go along with their bike.
According to CCC Communications Manager Melinda Musser, 412 children received bikes on Saturday and — underscoring the CCC’s success in broadening the reach of bicycling in our community — there were 18 languages represented.
This year has been especially meaningful for the CCC’s efforts to bring the joy of bicycling to new communities. They recently celebrated the opening of the Bike Hub at New Columbia and several riding clubs they helped get off the ground — like We All Can Ride at New Columbia and Andando en Bicicletas en Cully — are thriving.
Check out a few more photos below.
(Photo: Britt Appleton)
Learn more about the Holiday Bike Drive on the CCC’s website.
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Those smiles are worth a million bucks.
There are no poor white kids?
Of course there are Sunny. I’ve shared just a few photos from the event. See more here.
At least this isn’t turning into a conversation about overpopulation….. Geez!
400 kids of bikes is awesome. Looking forward to seeing bike to school percentages continue to grow.
This year is the first time in 5 that I haven’t volunteered at this event(work), makes me kinda sad.
I love this event, love the kids. It’s so awesome to see the excitement in the kids eyes and how happy they are to receive a bike(for some, their first!)
The giveaway was on Sunday Jonathan. On Saturday we did the final check to make sure the bikes were all good to go for the kids. 3rd year volunteering, it’s a really nice event to be a part of, and the kids all look pretty damn happy.
Thanks Case. made the correction.
The best thing for me was seeing all the older siblings there who have been through Bike Club, another CCC program that gives slightly older low-income kids a chance to earn their own bikes. It was super rad to see kids who had just earned their own bikes there with their younger siblings who were also getting bikes–can’t help but imagine all the family bike rides that are made possible by the Community Cycling Center! 🙂
Inspired me to donate two bikes last Saturday, both in excellent working condition. One was a 1972 vintage Schwinn girl’s Stingray, pink, original banana seat, chrome fenders. It had been thrown out in the garbage, and it needed only a little work (new chain, new tires, relube bearings, adjusted coaster brakes).